FACTBOX - Who was Ian Fleming?

(Reuters) - The new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" opens next week in London.

British author Ian Fleming, creator of superspy James Bond, was born 100 years ago in 1908.

Here are some facts on Ian Fleming.

* EARLY LIFE:

-- Fleming was born in Mayfair, London, to Valentine Fleming, an MP. He was also the grandson of Scottish banker Robert Fleming. He was educated at Eton before going on to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. After an early departure from the prestigious officer training school, he opted to study languages at a private school in Austria.

-- Following an unsuccessful application to join the Foreign Office, Fleming worked as a sub-editor and journalist for Reuters, and then as a stockbroker in London.

-- At the start of World War Two, Fleming was recruited into naval intelligence. He became personal assistant to Admiral John H. Godfrey, who served as the model for James Bond's commanding officer, "M."

* MY NAME IS BOND, JAMES BOND:

-- Fleming's intelligence work did provide the background for his novels. In 1953, he published his first novel, "Casino Royale" which introduced secret agent James Bond, known by his code number, 007 - which gave him a licence to kill.